VO: These are the faces of the people living in the greater Goodwood area in the Western Cape: home to some of the poorest of the poor. An estimated 3 million people live in the Cape Town area - 200 000 in Goodwood. Some in corrugated iron shacks; others in brick houses with lovely gardens; some in backyards in make-shift homes; some in Council flats; others in wooden structures.
Over 55% of people here are unemployed. 30% of all households survive on less than R500 a month.
Election posters
VO: Large numbers of South Africans are preparing to vote... to celebrate ten years of democracy. Yet we found little sign of people in a festive mood here. All three communities we visited are badly affected by poverty.
Tracking shot past Joe Slovo:
VO: In the slipstream of the N2 Highway and Cape Town's International Airport lies the Joe Slovo informal settlement. When the wind blows from the southwest, the nearby sewerage farm throws an unbearable stench across this area. There are no parks for children to play in; no trees; no birds.
Fire/smouldering/ firemen/ faces/children:
VO: Joe Slovo which forms part of Langa township was again devastated by a night fire. This time 6 people burnt to death inside their plastic and wooden homes. An estimated 10 000 people were left homeless when a shack caught fire in a howling Southeast-wind.
Onto Mr S walking away and pointing:
Mr S: "My house as I'm standing here is where it was my house. This was the door for my house and this was the kitchen. The other side is a bedroom as you see. These are the bedrooms for my children, is where they were sleeping. This area that you see here, was my bedroom. All my bedroom that was here, all burnt down. Clothing were here, all burnt down. Nothing was left all together."
Walking
VO: Mayenzeke Sopaqa, his wife, their 6 children, grandchildren and aunt lost almost everything. At two in the morning the family managed to escape from their burning home. They saved a single bed, 2 foam-mattresses, the clothes on their back... the shoes on their feet.
Mr S: "I am a man of 50 years and it's the second time I'm getting this and I loose everything in my life. It means now when I'm sitting down being alone, I look like a lonely person. I do not have any hope.
It's only the trousers that I'm wearing which is left from all my belongings. From now as I'm walking together with poverty I see now that today it's not a good time for me. It was a good time when poverty was not next to me. But now I see poverty as something like my friend and I don't want poverty to be my friend. I'm trying to take away this, but I see it's always following me and I don't know how and why things are going this way in my life."
Sunrise/rebuilding/hammering/spykering
VO: Last night all 11 people in the Sopaga family slept under different roofs with friends and relatives. Before sunrise everyone in Joe Slovo had started rebuilding their homes. The Sopaqa's house is being rebuilt with salvaged sheets of corrugated iron not too mangled by the fire. Press reports talk about immediate emergency relief and building material being made available. Inside the settlement these reports are nothing more than words...
Mr S: I don't have the material to built my house. But I'll try because I need a shelter ontop of my head. I need a shelter ontop of my children's head.
I've got a anger to our country. Why is our country ignoring the people who are still in the informal settlements?
...ignoring the people who put them to the parliament; ignoring the people who make them to be leaders of this country. This is where my anger is. I am angry to the politicians. Why don't they respond when there's a huge disaster in this area and this is not the first time but now it's more than before. For how long can this thing occur in this area...
Building/ putting up first wall/late afternoon shots
VO: (On CU hammering)
Despite announcements that nobody should start building until the City Council had cleaned-up, people hardly waited for the earth to cool down.
(On pile of wood)
Mr Sopaqa's day started before first light. A friend dropped off a bakkie-load of old planks and corrugated metal sheets. His sons took the day off school. Soon little houses had been rebuilt on top of scorched foundations. Families were remaking beds on black burnt soil.
In the afternoon the first wall of their house is standing. There's not enough material to finish the house. There's no money to buy anything.
(On little planks/little house/tree)
By sunset half the houses are standing where yesterday there was only been twisted metal sheets and melted plastic cutlery.
DAY 2:
Daughter washing/scrap collecter and bulldozers
VO: Morning breaks freezingly cold over the Cape flats. Fire engines have made way for the City Council's bulldozers.... to start cleaning up rubble.
Like tow-trucks drivers after an accident, scrap-metal-collectors and their horse-carts decend on Joe Slovo. Anything metal salvaged from the rubble can be sold for cash.
Council bakkie with wood/ walking towards line of people waiting
Mr S: Today I'm going to see about those handouts by the government what's happening. And if I've got nothing, I'm still going to go out for help in order to finish up this house. I want just the get the home nearby as it was before."
Mr S: ..."It means we're going to get there...
Mr S: "The five corrugated iron which is the only material we're going to get per person. Now, as I'm looking infront of this shack, there's a pole here and pole here - 2 poles. So you can make a door. Going this side, is another pole - 3 poles. Here is a pole - 5 poles. Another one of that side is 6; number 7 and 2 in the back which is 10... Count the corrugated iron, 1,2,3,4,5 which means my mind serve me very well - is five corrugated iron. How many people sleep here? Myself with 10 people, can you sleep with 10 people here? Where is your privacy - it shows me that the material they bring is to play with us... Our people they call it a nickname - your feet out! Whilst you're sleeping your feet will be out. We call it in Xhosa... it means it is not a house. The stable of the horses is better than our houses. Now according what I saw to some of the people with the T-shirts on about the celebration of the 10 year democracy ...What kind of celebration are they talking about?
Walking away/building/finishing roof
Mr S: "I do enjoy the democracy. At east 45% I enjoy but 55% no, I don't enjoy because now the way I am it shows there is no balance at all and I need this thing to be balanced. My life now is always down and the democracy is above me. That's why I'm saying 10 years democracy celebration is nothing to me."
Carrying beds into house/cleaning
VO: With the help of the 5 corrugated iron sheets and 10 wooden poles from the Council, the Sopaqa's are sleeping in their house tonight.
Mr Sopaqa has to feed eleven mouths every day. They need R85 per day. This'll pay for bread; mieliemeel; beans; samp; milk; sugar; tea and coffee. Twice a week they also try to buy vegetables. Meat is an unaffordable luxury. Two of the Sopaqa-boys are still in school - their school-fees are R150 per year. Thus far they've only paid one child's schoolfees.
His daughter gets a R140 a month child-grant for her baby-daughter. Other than that, this family has no income whatsoever. Mr Sopaqa has been unemployed for 7 years. He's been unable to find any employment.
Mr S: "The past three days was a days I will never forget it. So at least today I will have my supper here with my family. I'm so happy at least for the first time after 3 days since Sunday morning. My children, I see all of them they have a smile, even my wife.
PART 2
Mary-Anne Carelse
Early morning blue light and washing
VO: This is Leonsdale - not far up the road from the Joe Slovo informal settlement. Leonsdale was once a hotbed of gangsterism, drug-dealing and alcohol abuse.Today things are quieter. Police reports from Elsiesriver shows that domestic violence in this area is about 3 times higher than elsewhere. Most people here live in flats or brick houses. Most 2 bedroom-flats are home to between 10 and 20 people.
MA face in window/ silhouette shot/ making coffee
VO: Mary-Anne Carelse lives in a 2 bedroom Council Flat with her 3 girls and 7 other family members. She lost her job when she was stabbed with a knife in the arm. Mary-Anne and her family survive on a child-support grant, her daughter's wages of R600 a month and the profit made from selling sweets.
Jodi dressed/plating hair/ shoes/ take kid to school
MA: "Ek woon nou 10 jaar hier in Leonsdale se flatse. Maar kyk daar is mos nou nie werk en goed nie. Daar is soms tye wat ons sonder kos gaan slaap want dan daar's niks nie. Net brood. ...Daars soms tye wat ek stress. Daar's baie tye wat ek gestres het. Dan moet ek dink, wat vanaand? Daar's aande wat ek wakker geslaap het, dan dink ek wat ek gaan maak more. Daar's niks vir more nie hoe gaan ek maak.
MA and child walking to school:
MA: "Kyk soos dit nou is, daar is nie geld nie. Ek kan nie haar skoolfonds betaal nie. Sy is in die skool in en dit is nou die 3de maand en ek kon nog niks skool... ek het nog niks neergesit vir haar skoolfonds nie."
MA walking to Meisie and chatting to her through the window/
VO: Like most grandmothers in Leonsdale... Mary-Anne looks after her 3 month old grand-child while her daughter is at work. When there's extra money - no matter how tiny the amount - she and her neighbour walk the couple of kilometers to the Grand West Cassino. They play the slot machines - hoping for even the smallest win.
MA and Meisie chatting walking down the road
"Hoeveel het jy?
R20.
En ek het R30. Ons kyk maar of ons 'n potjie se kos se waarde bymekaar kan kry. Maar ons gaan nie lank speel nie. Sodra ons iets het, kan kom ons sommer huis-toe."
Walking away from flats
VO: The public relations officer at the casino refused to let us in. They say they have to protect their customers from themselves.... in case they win loads of money, the PR-lady said.
An hour later Mary-Anne and Meisie are back.
MA: "Ek't gaan speel met 'n R30 en ek het darem 'n R50 by verdien. Dit is genoeg vir my. Ek kan darem 'n potjie kos gaan maak vanaand. En nou is ek alweer oppad huitoe.
Meisie: "Nee, ek't verloor, maar nou moet ek maar huistoe gaan. Ek't 'n R20 gehad. OK, dit is nou op, maar ek worrie nie. Daar's sal weer 'n way kom miskien na vanaand toe.
Home through broken window/down stairs/ back of MA
VO: Leonsdale was the only suburb where we found people doing door to door electioneering. As in Joe Slovo few election-posters have been put up in the nieghbourhood. Those asked, said they weren't interested in voting - a poorman's vote doesn't count.
Election tannie:
MA: Ek weet nie waar kom in vir wie jy moet stem nie - dit is jou geheim.
Tannie: Dit is jou geheim.
Tannie: Die NNP doen baie dinge vir ons in die Weskaap. Ek kom van my tyd af aan met die NP. Van De Klerk se tyd af so ek stem nie vir 'n swartman nie...
Hoekom nie mevrou?
Tannie: Nee, ek het te swaar gekry. Hier loop my kinders nou nog rond sonder werk. Daar is nooit werk vir hulle nie. Fabrieke gaan toe. In De Klerk se tyd het ons ook swaar gekry, maar nie so swaar soos ons nou kry nie.
Dink mevrou dit is die swartmense se skuld?
Tannie: Dit is die swartmense se skuld mevrou. Dit is die swartmense se skuld. Ek stem nie vir 'n swartmens nie. Ek stem vir De Klerk. Het ek al die jare gestem. En ek stem weer vir die party wat ek voor werk. Dit is my stem.
MA: "Kyk, om eerlik waar met jou te wees, as hulle stem soek, dan weet hulle mos waar jy is. Hulle kruip uit hulle dop uit om by jou uit te kom. Maar as die stem nou klaar is, dan is hier niemand nie.
Ons is onsigbaar onder die wittes en onder die swartes. Ons word nie raakgesien nie. Hulle kry hoer poste as onse mense en onse mense is net so goed soos hulle maar hulle word nie gesien nie.
"Die tien jaar demokrasie is niks nie, want ek meen in die tien jaar het ons dan niks reggekry nie. Lyk my ons het net swaarder gekry. Ons het net swaarder gekry. Ons het niks reggekry nie. So ons kan nie nog saam celebrate nie want ons het niks reggekry nie."
MA buying and selecting sweets/paying
VO: Every Friday morning Mary-Anne pays a friend R40 to take her to a whole-saler in Athlone to buy sweets. She uses some of the money she makes to buy stock again for next Friday. Her profits only give her enough money to buy food for a day or two.
MA: "Kyk daar's mense wat swaarder kry as wat ek kry. Ek sukkel maar nou maar daar's mense wat al die pad so sukkel en swaarkry. Ons het darem 'n stukkie om te eet vanaand. Maar daar's mense wat nie het nie. Hier in ons gebied is daar baie armes wat nie het nie. Ek sit Vrydag my stalletjie op en 0verkoop 'n pakkie lekkers en vanaand kan ek vir my 'n brood gaan koop."
Setting up her stall/unpacking her sweets/ selling first packet/ chocolate/ seeing the community
MA: Ons community hierso - ons almal sukkel hierso. Die meerderheid van die mense wat hier is, sukkel. As jy nou hier uitgaan, sal jy sien hoe staan die mense hier op die hoeke want daar is nie werk nie...
Hier's party mense wie se kinders gaan steel. Hulle gaan breek in en wat kry hulle op die ou einde van die dag daarvan? Dan gaan sit hulle in die tronk in. Hulle het nie 'n ander keuse nie - hulle breek in en gaan steel en dan raak hulle gangsters so.
Seeing Diane with baby/ Diane with her sister and baby/ Diane and MA
VO: Mary-Anne needs R40 to R50 a day to feed the 10 members of her family. That excludes the R150 she needs for electricity every month. This family's diet is white bread; milk; coffee; eggs; sugar; rice; onions and potatoes. They can seldom afford meat. There's no money to pay rent to the council.
Between her daughter's contribution; the R160 child support grant, there's a constant shortfall of R500.
Diane: Soos ons grootgemaak is, glo ons dit is alledaags om te sukkel. Vandag is daar nie, maar more is daar. Dit is alledaags.
MA: Armoede vir my - ek stres baie. En ek skel baie hier in die huis in want daar's soms aande wat ons nie het nie, en soms aande wat ons het. Nou ek raak kwaad want daar's nie 'n inkomste nie. Dit gee baie stres. Ek skel. Want daar's niks nie. Vra jy vir ander mense, niemand het vir jou nie.
PART 3
Marietjie and Andre Van Niekerk
CU Marietjie and feet and hands...
Mar: Dit is totally embarassing om hier te sit. In die eerste plek, kyk hoe lyk die stalletjie.... Dit is so vuil hierso en dit help nie mens maak skoon nie, want moreoggend lyk dit net weer so. Dit is nie lekker om so hier te sit nie.
So ek het nie 'n clue wat ons gaan doen nie. Hulle se ek mag nou nie sigarette verkoop nie. Hulle se dit is uit desperaatgeid dat ek hierso sit. ... Uit desperaatheid dat ek hier sit. Ek is desperaat, ek meen waarvan moet ons lewe? Ons moet R400 per maand betaal vir die wendy-huis. Elke dag, 2de dag R10 se krag, ek moet elke dag kos he, my kinders moet brood he skooltoe...
Wide of the area/railway line/ tunnel
VO: Between Leonsdale on the left and Joe Slovo down the road on the right, lies Ruyterwacht. Years ago it was a whites-only suburb. Today it's home to all.
This is Marietjie and her husband Andre Van Niekerk. The Van Niekerk's lost their home 8 years ago when Andre was retrenched. Since then he's been unable to find fulltime work... he supports his family by doing odd jobs. The last couple of years this family has lived on and off the streets - sleeping in doorways; having then loosing homes. Today they live in a Wendy-house in a friend's backyard. They're desperate to hang on to their home.
Mar: R429 en daarvan is daar geen geen profit nie met ander woorde ons kry nie eens 'n 50 sent van vandag se takings nie, so dit is totally siek... Ek gaan nou solank R30 van die stalletjie vat om iets te kry vir vanaand.
Marietjie to Foodworld
Mar: Wat my grootste wens is: Imagine ons kan net hier instap sonder om te worrie wat jy gaan betaal by die till. Jy kan net gaan kos koop. Dit sal darem so lekker wees. Huh. Dit sal darem so lekker wees.
Maar nou moet ons eers kyk of daar nie 'n pakkie van R9 is nie. Ek koop die goedkoopste pak.
Suiker/pay
Marietjie paying and walking back
VO: Marietjie, her husband and three boys can survive on about R20 to R30 a day. This'll buy them 2 loaves of white breads; milk; eggs and mealiemeal... and occasionally some vegetables. It excludes the R10 electricity they need to buy every second day. It doesn't pay for luxuries like chicken or meat.
This family has absolutely no income other than the profit they make selling cigarettes. Andre sometimes makes R50 IF he finds a job as a handyman... or works in a garden.
Marietjie walking to kids and hugging
VO: The school Marietjie's children go to, has a soup-kitchen.... where children can get food. Many families in the area depend on this. After school the younger boys spend the afternoon with Marietjie on the side of the road. Here their mother keeps a strict eye on their homework.
Marietjie and Dylan reading
Mar: Ek het fantastiese kinders. Ons het nou nie alles wat ander mense het nie, maar ons het liefde wat baie belangrik is in my oe. Dit kom eerste in jou lewe in.
Counting money/ packing up and walking back home
Mar: Ek's moeg man. Ek slaap nie saans nie. Ek slaap regtig nie. Ek's moeg. Want ek le en worrie oor die volgende dag. Gaan daar krag vanaand wees. Gaan my kinders moreoggend brood he skooltoe? Gaan daar 'n werkie kom vir Seun? Op die oomblik is daar geen werk vir hom nie.
As jy saans die lig afsit en jy maak jou oe toe en jy le en kyk na jou kinders so, dit voel vir 'n ma.... Dit is net nie lekker vir 'n ma. Dit is nie lekker vir 'n ma alles wat hulle deurgaan nie. Dit breek jou. Ek is op die punt. I can't... I can't anymore.
Marietjie walking through duikweg
VO: Years of living on white bread; of being malnourished; of sleeping on tar roads and cold cement, has left this family vulnerable to diseases. Frequently somebody in this family is ill. Marietjie needs painkillers from the nearby day-care hospital... for an ear and tooth infection.
Mar: "Have they all gone?"
"Dit is omdat ons nie geld het nie; dit is omdat ons nie geld het nie. Hulle help jou net nie. That's it. As jy nie geld het nie, is jy niks nie, dan moet jy maar self aansukkel. And that's it. As ek nou 'n ryk vrou was, met mooi diamante-ringe en mooi lipstick en mooi gelyk het, dan het hulle my gou gehelp.
As jy siek is... jy is regtig siek, dan moet jy sorg dat jy soggens 6uur daar is sodat jy in die ry voor die deur kan wees van die eerste 20 pasiente. Hulle kan net die 1ste 20 pasiente vat want daar's net 1 dokter aan diens daarso. Ek dink dit is unfair. Dit is nie reg nie. Die hele ding is, as jy nie geld het nie, that's it. Jy's niks as jy nie geld het nie.
Watching TV
VO: It just days to the general election. Both Marietjie and Andre believe that politics has neither played a positive nor negative role in their lives. They say when one is poor, democracy doesn't fill a stomach. It doesn't put a roof over ones head.
Mar: Politics maak geen verskil aan ons lewe nie. Ek stel nie belang daarin nie. Ek kyk nooit nuus nie. Ek weet nie eers wie is my president as ek verby hom stap nie sal ek hom nie erken nie. Ek stel nie belang daarin nie.
Die swaarkry het niks met kleur te doen nie. Het niks te doen met wie die president is nie. In my oe het dit het niks te doen met die mense wat daar bo sit nie.
Ek blameer vir niemand... moet my nie verkeerd verstaan nie. Ek blameer vir niemand vir waar ons sit vandag nie. Ek blameer myself. Ek blameer my man. Ek blameer vir onsself vir waar ons sit vandag.
Ek het nie probleme met Kleurlinge en swartmense nie. Regtigwaar ek het nie probleme met hulle nie. Want weet jy hoekom, Pearlie, want hulle is mense wat deurgaan wat ons deurgaan. Hulle weet wat dit is om swaar te kry. Hulle weet wat dit is om saans honger te gaan slaap. Maar die witmense is so so lelik met my. Hulle se vir my ek is 'n insult vir die witnasie. Toe ons drie jaar op die strate gebly het... was dit nie vir die swartmense en Kleurlingmense nie, het ons nie gesurvive nie.
Marietjie in the kitchen/plates and bread
Ek en my man gaan nie vanaand eet nie. Ons gaan die brood deel vir die kinders en sop deel vir die kinders.
Back in the room:
MA: Vir my raak glad niks beter nie. Die pyn raak erger; die kopsere raak al hoe erger; die worries word al hoe erger. Dit is net nie lekker nie. Ek is totally klaar. Ek is so moeg. Ek is fisies en mentally moeg en ek is totally moeg en ek kan nie meer nie. En ek is so bang. Ek is net so bang as ek omkap wat gaan verder gebeur. Wat gaan met my kinders gebeur. Hulle is my lewe.
Hulle dink omdat ons swaarkry en ons bly nie in 'n mooi huis nie en ons het nie 'n goeie werk nie, dink hulle ons is niks in die lewe nie. Dit is wat die mense dink van 'n mens. In my oe is dit nie reg nie. Ons is almal equal.
En dit is die dinge wat my binnekant opvreet elke dag van my lewe. As ek saans hier gaan le, dan onthou ek al daai woorde wat daai mense vir my gese het, en dit maak my baie baie seer.
END
Over 55% of people here are unemployed. 30% of all households survive on less than R500 a month.
Election posters
VO: Large numbers of South Africans are preparing to vote... to celebrate ten years of democracy. Yet we found little sign of people in a festive mood here. All three communities we visited are badly affected by poverty.
Tracking shot past Joe Slovo:
VO: In the slipstream of the N2 Highway and Cape Town's International Airport lies the Joe Slovo informal settlement. When the wind blows from the southwest, the nearby sewerage farm throws an unbearable stench across this area. There are no parks for children to play in; no trees; no birds.
Fire/smouldering/ firemen/ faces/children:
VO: Joe Slovo which forms part of Langa township was again devastated by a night fire. This time 6 people burnt to death inside their plastic and wooden homes. An estimated 10 000 people were left homeless when a shack caught fire in a howling Southeast-wind.
Onto Mr S walking away and pointing:
Mr S: "My house as I'm standing here is where it was my house. This was the door for my house and this was the kitchen. The other side is a bedroom as you see. These are the bedrooms for my children, is where they were sleeping. This area that you see here, was my bedroom. All my bedroom that was here, all burnt down. Clothing were here, all burnt down. Nothing was left all together."
Walking
VO: Mayenzeke Sopaqa, his wife, their 6 children, grandchildren and aunt lost almost everything. At two in the morning the family managed to escape from their burning home. They saved a single bed, 2 foam-mattresses, the clothes on their back... the shoes on their feet.
Mr S: "I am a man of 50 years and it's the second time I'm getting this and I loose everything in my life. It means now when I'm sitting down being alone, I look like a lonely person. I do not have any hope.
It's only the trousers that I'm wearing which is left from all my belongings. From now as I'm walking together with poverty I see now that today it's not a good time for me. It was a good time when poverty was not next to me. But now I see poverty as something like my friend and I don't want poverty to be my friend. I'm trying to take away this, but I see it's always following me and I don't know how and why things are going this way in my life."
Sunrise/rebuilding/hammering/spykering
VO: Last night all 11 people in the Sopaga family slept under different roofs with friends and relatives. Before sunrise everyone in Joe Slovo had started rebuilding their homes. The Sopaqa's house is being rebuilt with salvaged sheets of corrugated iron not too mangled by the fire. Press reports talk about immediate emergency relief and building material being made available. Inside the settlement these reports are nothing more than words...
Mr S: I don't have the material to built my house. But I'll try because I need a shelter ontop of my head. I need a shelter ontop of my children's head.
I've got a anger to our country. Why is our country ignoring the people who are still in the informal settlements?
...ignoring the people who put them to the parliament; ignoring the people who make them to be leaders of this country. This is where my anger is. I am angry to the politicians. Why don't they respond when there's a huge disaster in this area and this is not the first time but now it's more than before. For how long can this thing occur in this area...
Building/ putting up first wall/late afternoon shots
VO: (On CU hammering)
Despite announcements that nobody should start building until the City Council had cleaned-up, people hardly waited for the earth to cool down.
(On pile of wood)
Mr Sopaqa's day started before first light. A friend dropped off a bakkie-load of old planks and corrugated metal sheets. His sons took the day off school. Soon little houses had been rebuilt on top of scorched foundations. Families were remaking beds on black burnt soil.
In the afternoon the first wall of their house is standing. There's not enough material to finish the house. There's no money to buy anything.
(On little planks/little house/tree)
By sunset half the houses are standing where yesterday there was only been twisted metal sheets and melted plastic cutlery.
DAY 2:
Daughter washing/scrap collecter and bulldozers
VO: Morning breaks freezingly cold over the Cape flats. Fire engines have made way for the City Council's bulldozers.... to start cleaning up rubble.
Like tow-trucks drivers after an accident, scrap-metal-collectors and their horse-carts decend on Joe Slovo. Anything metal salvaged from the rubble can be sold for cash.
Council bakkie with wood/ walking towards line of people waiting
Mr S: Today I'm going to see about those handouts by the government what's happening. And if I've got nothing, I'm still going to go out for help in order to finish up this house. I want just the get the home nearby as it was before."
Mr S: ..."It means we're going to get there...
Mr S: "The five corrugated iron which is the only material we're going to get per person. Now, as I'm looking infront of this shack, there's a pole here and pole here - 2 poles. So you can make a door. Going this side, is another pole - 3 poles. Here is a pole - 5 poles. Another one of that side is 6; number 7 and 2 in the back which is 10... Count the corrugated iron, 1,2,3,4,5 which means my mind serve me very well - is five corrugated iron. How many people sleep here? Myself with 10 people, can you sleep with 10 people here? Where is your privacy - it shows me that the material they bring is to play with us... Our people they call it a nickname - your feet out! Whilst you're sleeping your feet will be out. We call it in Xhosa... it means it is not a house. The stable of the horses is better than our houses. Now according what I saw to some of the people with the T-shirts on about the celebration of the 10 year democracy ...What kind of celebration are they talking about?
Walking away/building/finishing roof
Mr S: "I do enjoy the democracy. At east 45% I enjoy but 55% no, I don't enjoy because now the way I am it shows there is no balance at all and I need this thing to be balanced. My life now is always down and the democracy is above me. That's why I'm saying 10 years democracy celebration is nothing to me."
Carrying beds into house/cleaning
VO: With the help of the 5 corrugated iron sheets and 10 wooden poles from the Council, the Sopaqa's are sleeping in their house tonight.
Mr Sopaqa has to feed eleven mouths every day. They need R85 per day. This'll pay for bread; mieliemeel; beans; samp; milk; sugar; tea and coffee. Twice a week they also try to buy vegetables. Meat is an unaffordable luxury. Two of the Sopaqa-boys are still in school - their school-fees are R150 per year. Thus far they've only paid one child's schoolfees.
His daughter gets a R140 a month child-grant for her baby-daughter. Other than that, this family has no income whatsoever. Mr Sopaqa has been unemployed for 7 years. He's been unable to find any employment.
Mr S: "The past three days was a days I will never forget it. So at least today I will have my supper here with my family. I'm so happy at least for the first time after 3 days since Sunday morning. My children, I see all of them they have a smile, even my wife.
PART 2
Mary-Anne Carelse
Early morning blue light and washing
VO: This is Leonsdale - not far up the road from the Joe Slovo informal settlement. Leonsdale was once a hotbed of gangsterism, drug-dealing and alcohol abuse.Today things are quieter. Police reports from Elsiesriver shows that domestic violence in this area is about 3 times higher than elsewhere. Most people here live in flats or brick houses. Most 2 bedroom-flats are home to between 10 and 20 people.
MA face in window/ silhouette shot/ making coffee
VO: Mary-Anne Carelse lives in a 2 bedroom Council Flat with her 3 girls and 7 other family members. She lost her job when she was stabbed with a knife in the arm. Mary-Anne and her family survive on a child-support grant, her daughter's wages of R600 a month and the profit made from selling sweets.
Jodi dressed/plating hair/ shoes/ take kid to school
MA: "Ek woon nou 10 jaar hier in Leonsdale se flatse. Maar kyk daar is mos nou nie werk en goed nie. Daar is soms tye wat ons sonder kos gaan slaap want dan daar's niks nie. Net brood. ...Daars soms tye wat ek stress. Daar's baie tye wat ek gestres het. Dan moet ek dink, wat vanaand? Daar's aande wat ek wakker geslaap het, dan dink ek wat ek gaan maak more. Daar's niks vir more nie hoe gaan ek maak.
MA and child walking to school:
MA: "Kyk soos dit nou is, daar is nie geld nie. Ek kan nie haar skoolfonds betaal nie. Sy is in die skool in en dit is nou die 3de maand en ek kon nog niks skool... ek het nog niks neergesit vir haar skoolfonds nie."
MA walking to Meisie and chatting to her through the window/
VO: Like most grandmothers in Leonsdale... Mary-Anne looks after her 3 month old grand-child while her daughter is at work. When there's extra money - no matter how tiny the amount - she and her neighbour walk the couple of kilometers to the Grand West Cassino. They play the slot machines - hoping for even the smallest win.
MA and Meisie chatting walking down the road
"Hoeveel het jy?
R20.
En ek het R30. Ons kyk maar of ons 'n potjie se kos se waarde bymekaar kan kry. Maar ons gaan nie lank speel nie. Sodra ons iets het, kan kom ons sommer huis-toe."
Walking away from flats
VO: The public relations officer at the casino refused to let us in. They say they have to protect their customers from themselves.... in case they win loads of money, the PR-lady said.
An hour later Mary-Anne and Meisie are back.
MA: "Ek't gaan speel met 'n R30 en ek het darem 'n R50 by verdien. Dit is genoeg vir my. Ek kan darem 'n potjie kos gaan maak vanaand. En nou is ek alweer oppad huitoe.
Meisie: "Nee, ek't verloor, maar nou moet ek maar huistoe gaan. Ek't 'n R20 gehad. OK, dit is nou op, maar ek worrie nie. Daar's sal weer 'n way kom miskien na vanaand toe.
Home through broken window/down stairs/ back of MA
VO: Leonsdale was the only suburb where we found people doing door to door electioneering. As in Joe Slovo few election-posters have been put up in the nieghbourhood. Those asked, said they weren't interested in voting - a poorman's vote doesn't count.
Election tannie:
MA: Ek weet nie waar kom in vir wie jy moet stem nie - dit is jou geheim.
Tannie: Dit is jou geheim.
Tannie: Die NNP doen baie dinge vir ons in die Weskaap. Ek kom van my tyd af aan met die NP. Van De Klerk se tyd af so ek stem nie vir 'n swartman nie...
Hoekom nie mevrou?
Tannie: Nee, ek het te swaar gekry. Hier loop my kinders nou nog rond sonder werk. Daar is nooit werk vir hulle nie. Fabrieke gaan toe. In De Klerk se tyd het ons ook swaar gekry, maar nie so swaar soos ons nou kry nie.
Dink mevrou dit is die swartmense se skuld?
Tannie: Dit is die swartmense se skuld mevrou. Dit is die swartmense se skuld. Ek stem nie vir 'n swartmens nie. Ek stem vir De Klerk. Het ek al die jare gestem. En ek stem weer vir die party wat ek voor werk. Dit is my stem.
MA: "Kyk, om eerlik waar met jou te wees, as hulle stem soek, dan weet hulle mos waar jy is. Hulle kruip uit hulle dop uit om by jou uit te kom. Maar as die stem nou klaar is, dan is hier niemand nie.
Ons is onsigbaar onder die wittes en onder die swartes. Ons word nie raakgesien nie. Hulle kry hoer poste as onse mense en onse mense is net so goed soos hulle maar hulle word nie gesien nie.
"Die tien jaar demokrasie is niks nie, want ek meen in die tien jaar het ons dan niks reggekry nie. Lyk my ons het net swaarder gekry. Ons het net swaarder gekry. Ons het niks reggekry nie. So ons kan nie nog saam celebrate nie want ons het niks reggekry nie."
MA buying and selecting sweets/paying
VO: Every Friday morning Mary-Anne pays a friend R40 to take her to a whole-saler in Athlone to buy sweets. She uses some of the money she makes to buy stock again for next Friday. Her profits only give her enough money to buy food for a day or two.
MA: "Kyk daar's mense wat swaarder kry as wat ek kry. Ek sukkel maar nou maar daar's mense wat al die pad so sukkel en swaarkry. Ons het darem 'n stukkie om te eet vanaand. Maar daar's mense wat nie het nie. Hier in ons gebied is daar baie armes wat nie het nie. Ek sit Vrydag my stalletjie op en 0verkoop 'n pakkie lekkers en vanaand kan ek vir my 'n brood gaan koop."
Setting up her stall/unpacking her sweets/ selling first packet/ chocolate/ seeing the community
MA: Ons community hierso - ons almal sukkel hierso. Die meerderheid van die mense wat hier is, sukkel. As jy nou hier uitgaan, sal jy sien hoe staan die mense hier op die hoeke want daar is nie werk nie...
Hier's party mense wie se kinders gaan steel. Hulle gaan breek in en wat kry hulle op die ou einde van die dag daarvan? Dan gaan sit hulle in die tronk in. Hulle het nie 'n ander keuse nie - hulle breek in en gaan steel en dan raak hulle gangsters so.
Seeing Diane with baby/ Diane with her sister and baby/ Diane and MA
VO: Mary-Anne needs R40 to R50 a day to feed the 10 members of her family. That excludes the R150 she needs for electricity every month. This family's diet is white bread; milk; coffee; eggs; sugar; rice; onions and potatoes. They can seldom afford meat. There's no money to pay rent to the council.
Between her daughter's contribution; the R160 child support grant, there's a constant shortfall of R500.
Diane: Soos ons grootgemaak is, glo ons dit is alledaags om te sukkel. Vandag is daar nie, maar more is daar. Dit is alledaags.
MA: Armoede vir my - ek stres baie. En ek skel baie hier in die huis in want daar's soms aande wat ons nie het nie, en soms aande wat ons het. Nou ek raak kwaad want daar's nie 'n inkomste nie. Dit gee baie stres. Ek skel. Want daar's niks nie. Vra jy vir ander mense, niemand het vir jou nie.
PART 3
Marietjie and Andre Van Niekerk
CU Marietjie and feet and hands...
Mar: Dit is totally embarassing om hier te sit. In die eerste plek, kyk hoe lyk die stalletjie.... Dit is so vuil hierso en dit help nie mens maak skoon nie, want moreoggend lyk dit net weer so. Dit is nie lekker om so hier te sit nie.
So ek het nie 'n clue wat ons gaan doen nie. Hulle se ek mag nou nie sigarette verkoop nie. Hulle se dit is uit desperaatgeid dat ek hierso sit. ... Uit desperaatheid dat ek hier sit. Ek is desperaat, ek meen waarvan moet ons lewe? Ons moet R400 per maand betaal vir die wendy-huis. Elke dag, 2de dag R10 se krag, ek moet elke dag kos he, my kinders moet brood he skooltoe...
Wide of the area/railway line/ tunnel
VO: Between Leonsdale on the left and Joe Slovo down the road on the right, lies Ruyterwacht. Years ago it was a whites-only suburb. Today it's home to all.
This is Marietjie and her husband Andre Van Niekerk. The Van Niekerk's lost their home 8 years ago when Andre was retrenched. Since then he's been unable to find fulltime work... he supports his family by doing odd jobs. The last couple of years this family has lived on and off the streets - sleeping in doorways; having then loosing homes. Today they live in a Wendy-house in a friend's backyard. They're desperate to hang on to their home.
Mar: R429 en daarvan is daar geen geen profit nie met ander woorde ons kry nie eens 'n 50 sent van vandag se takings nie, so dit is totally siek... Ek gaan nou solank R30 van die stalletjie vat om iets te kry vir vanaand.
Marietjie to Foodworld
Mar: Wat my grootste wens is: Imagine ons kan net hier instap sonder om te worrie wat jy gaan betaal by die till. Jy kan net gaan kos koop. Dit sal darem so lekker wees. Huh. Dit sal darem so lekker wees.
Maar nou moet ons eers kyk of daar nie 'n pakkie van R9 is nie. Ek koop die goedkoopste pak.
Suiker/pay
Marietjie paying and walking back
VO: Marietjie, her husband and three boys can survive on about R20 to R30 a day. This'll buy them 2 loaves of white breads; milk; eggs and mealiemeal... and occasionally some vegetables. It excludes the R10 electricity they need to buy every second day. It doesn't pay for luxuries like chicken or meat.
This family has absolutely no income other than the profit they make selling cigarettes. Andre sometimes makes R50 IF he finds a job as a handyman... or works in a garden.
Marietjie walking to kids and hugging
VO: The school Marietjie's children go to, has a soup-kitchen.... where children can get food. Many families in the area depend on this. After school the younger boys spend the afternoon with Marietjie on the side of the road. Here their mother keeps a strict eye on their homework.
Marietjie and Dylan reading
Mar: Ek het fantastiese kinders. Ons het nou nie alles wat ander mense het nie, maar ons het liefde wat baie belangrik is in my oe. Dit kom eerste in jou lewe in.
Counting money/ packing up and walking back home
Mar: Ek's moeg man. Ek slaap nie saans nie. Ek slaap regtig nie. Ek's moeg. Want ek le en worrie oor die volgende dag. Gaan daar krag vanaand wees. Gaan my kinders moreoggend brood he skooltoe? Gaan daar 'n werkie kom vir Seun? Op die oomblik is daar geen werk vir hom nie.
As jy saans die lig afsit en jy maak jou oe toe en jy le en kyk na jou kinders so, dit voel vir 'n ma.... Dit is net nie lekker vir 'n ma. Dit is nie lekker vir 'n ma alles wat hulle deurgaan nie. Dit breek jou. Ek is op die punt. I can't... I can't anymore.
Marietjie walking through duikweg
VO: Years of living on white bread; of being malnourished; of sleeping on tar roads and cold cement, has left this family vulnerable to diseases. Frequently somebody in this family is ill. Marietjie needs painkillers from the nearby day-care hospital... for an ear and tooth infection.
Mar: "Have they all gone?"
"Dit is omdat ons nie geld het nie; dit is omdat ons nie geld het nie. Hulle help jou net nie. That's it. As jy nie geld het nie, is jy niks nie, dan moet jy maar self aansukkel. And that's it. As ek nou 'n ryk vrou was, met mooi diamante-ringe en mooi lipstick en mooi gelyk het, dan het hulle my gou gehelp.
As jy siek is... jy is regtig siek, dan moet jy sorg dat jy soggens 6uur daar is sodat jy in die ry voor die deur kan wees van die eerste 20 pasiente. Hulle kan net die 1ste 20 pasiente vat want daar's net 1 dokter aan diens daarso. Ek dink dit is unfair. Dit is nie reg nie. Die hele ding is, as jy nie geld het nie, that's it. Jy's niks as jy nie geld het nie.
Watching TV
VO: It just days to the general election. Both Marietjie and Andre believe that politics has neither played a positive nor negative role in their lives. They say when one is poor, democracy doesn't fill a stomach. It doesn't put a roof over ones head.
Mar: Politics maak geen verskil aan ons lewe nie. Ek stel nie belang daarin nie. Ek kyk nooit nuus nie. Ek weet nie eers wie is my president as ek verby hom stap nie sal ek hom nie erken nie. Ek stel nie belang daarin nie.
Die swaarkry het niks met kleur te doen nie. Het niks te doen met wie die president is nie. In my oe het dit het niks te doen met die mense wat daar bo sit nie.
Ek blameer vir niemand... moet my nie verkeerd verstaan nie. Ek blameer vir niemand vir waar ons sit vandag nie. Ek blameer myself. Ek blameer my man. Ek blameer vir onsself vir waar ons sit vandag.
Ek het nie probleme met Kleurlinge en swartmense nie. Regtigwaar ek het nie probleme met hulle nie. Want weet jy hoekom, Pearlie, want hulle is mense wat deurgaan wat ons deurgaan. Hulle weet wat dit is om swaar te kry. Hulle weet wat dit is om saans honger te gaan slaap. Maar die witmense is so so lelik met my. Hulle se vir my ek is 'n insult vir die witnasie. Toe ons drie jaar op die strate gebly het... was dit nie vir die swartmense en Kleurlingmense nie, het ons nie gesurvive nie.
Marietjie in the kitchen/plates and bread
Ek en my man gaan nie vanaand eet nie. Ons gaan die brood deel vir die kinders en sop deel vir die kinders.
Back in the room:
MA: Vir my raak glad niks beter nie. Die pyn raak erger; die kopsere raak al hoe erger; die worries word al hoe erger. Dit is net nie lekker nie. Ek is totally klaar. Ek is so moeg. Ek is fisies en mentally moeg en ek is totally moeg en ek kan nie meer nie. En ek is so bang. Ek is net so bang as ek omkap wat gaan verder gebeur. Wat gaan met my kinders gebeur. Hulle is my lewe.
Hulle dink omdat ons swaarkry en ons bly nie in 'n mooi huis nie en ons het nie 'n goeie werk nie, dink hulle ons is niks in die lewe nie. Dit is wat die mense dink van 'n mens. In my oe is dit nie reg nie. Ons is almal equal.
En dit is die dinge wat my binnekant opvreet elke dag van my lewe. As ek saans hier gaan le, dan onthou ek al daai woorde wat daai mense vir my gese het, en dit maak my baie baie seer.
END